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How can I wean my toddler from breastfeeding?

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I'm 11 weeks pregnant and need to stop breastfeeding my toddler, who wakes up twice a night to be fed. I've tried feeding her right before she goes to sleep, not going to her in the night, giving her cows' milk instead of breast milk, and having her father comfort her -- but nothing works. She tries to lift my shirt and nurse. Please help.

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My daugther is 20 months and I am trying to wean her. She wakes up and comes in our room 3 to 4 times a night wanting to be nursed back to sleep. She has developed cavities. My mother keeps her while I'm at work and at around 5:00pm everyday my daughter looks for that feeding. She crys and goes to the window or the door looking for me. As soon as I walk in she jumps in my arms, kisses me and then put her hands down my shirt.

Way to go Amber of posting "6:40 AM on 02/17/2004 "! So glad that you responded to Amber's rude comments that nursing is gross past 6 months! It is so encouraging to hear Mom's such as yourself state that you care more for the welfare and emotional state of your child, more than yourself and what others say. Besides, nursing is not the exclusive food for a child such as ours at 24 months and beyond...I know mine eats very well...just nursing is only supplimental like a mini "protien nutrition drink". My son has never had any childhood illness...no ear infections...nothing...and we opted not to do the shots either! I attribute his good health to the "extra" nutrition and vitamins that he can and has gotten from me. I am glad that I have nursed till now...2years...because as everyone knows...toddlers can be pretty particular with food choices and many times like to limit meals to one food at a time. Nursing has been an added insurance for me to this point that my child was getting adequate and proper nutrition. We have actually started doing little "baby protien shakes with vitamin drops" mixed in a blender with ice...and will continue to do this till I can garantee that my child is eating from all the food groups, proportionately at every meal. My reasons for wanting to stop at this point is primarily selfish I admit myself...it is very time consumming and I think now at 2 I could use the nursing time to do more reading and educational playtime.

My son just turned 2 and still "has to nurse" to go to sleep for naps and at night time. Luckily I feel that living on the West Coast ...I find many moms that are very pro-nursing for extended timeframes...but my East Coast College friends and family think that nursing past 6 months is crazy and make fun of me! It is upsetting...but I try to remind them that the American Pediatric Association recommends nursing till at least 1 year...and beyond if possible now. Yes...it is very time consuming and I am fortunate to not have to work...but I think my child does need to start "learning" how to go to sleep on his own without nursing. I hate making him cry it out though...I may try the "bandaid" recommendation or the "thumbsucking medication" that some of you recommended above. Any other weaning tips are highly appreciated...I am also 17 weeks pregnant and my doctor told me to wean my toddler by 20 weeks for fear of contractions....so...I guess I have 3 weeks to do this now!

I'm 6 weeks pregnant with my 2nd and i'd been telling my daughter (who'll be 2 next week) that when she's 2, she'll be a big girl and will have to stop nursing. The weird thing is that for the past two days, my nipples had gotten really sore and I explained to her that it was hurting when she nursed. So, the last time she nursed was for five minutes yesterday morning around four, when she woke up complaining that she was hungry. For her nap, we cuddled and she had a pacifier (which I'm not proud of, but I couldn't cut her off completely--that's my next project),and we did the same thing when she went to bed last night. Right before I held her, she looks up at me with her big blue eyes, and says "Nurse?" and I was like, "well, okay," and she looked at me with great resolve and said "no," all grown up and all. Well,singing her lullaby to her last night and cuddling her with her pacifier was soooo upsetting that I couldn't stop crying. She was okay with it, though. I must have cried to my husband for a good hour after I put her to bed. Kind of makes me think that maybe it's harder for us to wean than it is for the little ones, but for my next, I will also nurse as long as possible.

I've LOVED the breastfeeding journey my 19 month old has led me on. I never thought we would last this long since I had breast reduction surgery in my teens. That being said.. he can't, won't, & flat out refuses to sleep without nursing. Constant nursing . I am a walking pacifier. This intense attachment to nursing needs to end because, after 19 months of scheduling my entire life around laying with a nursing/sleeping baby/toddler, I am beginning to get a wee bit cranky instead of the well natured happy mom I was 6 months ago. He wakes up literally every 15 minutes to 1/2 hour to find me. So that means no cleaning house at night, alone time with my husband is a joke, and amoung many other frustrations I have a very wonderful and deserving 5 year old boy who is getting shafted out of so much time with me. Those are the reasons I need good advice towards weaning. (And to be honest my toddler has replaced my husband in our bed. My husbands been sleeping on the couch all 19 months. YIKES.)Help.

I just weaned my 18 month daughter. I started a few months ago down to just before nap time and bedtime. I thought she would fight it because she was very attached. It only took her 2 days and she is fine with it. Only once in the 3 weeks has she reclined on my lap and opened her mouth like a baby bird. I just asked if she wanted some milk and we went to the fridge together. The time I used to spend nursing before bed we now read a short story or just cuddle, but not in the same chair or position she would nurse in. When the time is right for both mom and child it will work. My daughter has also been going to bed awake since she was only a few months old, by her choice. She didn't want to go to sleep in any other place but her bed. Now she loves her bed and waves to us as we leave the room and goes to sleep. I don't let her cry it out but I wouldn't tell someone who wants to try it that it is cruel, what works for one child may not work for another. Just try different ideas but be sure to give them enough time to work before you give up and most important, don't let others make you feel bad about whatever decision you make because of their 2 cents!!!

It is painfully difficult to get my 16.5 month old son to stop nursing. He suddenly wants to nurse all the time, lifts my shirt and gets very upset when I don't let him. The thing that worries me most is my unfortunate ambivalence about him quitting. Some days I never want him to nurse again and others I feel sad about the loss of connection between us. We are down to 3 feedings a day (am, nap and bedtime) and I am hoping to cut out the nap feeding all together starting this week. I would like to get pregnant again and although I know it's okay to nurse while pg, I really feel as if I want a break for myself before starting the nursing cycle over again. I wish there were clear, concise ideas that took a child's feelings into account about weaning. I don't think cold turkey is a good idea nor do I think that person's idea about putting bitter tasting stuff on your nipples to make them quit is very positive. Yikes, hope I make it through this!

My son is 18 month old and still brestfeeds. The problem is that he does it so very often, every hour. I can't rock him just for the sake of it. Holding is immediately associated in his mind with nursing and he demands it with all his might. Some quiet time (reading or doing puzzles) is always have to be preceeded with nursing. I can't just sit down on a bed or recliner without him trying to get some nursing. I don't mind to nurse my son when he is tired or upset, but I'm not sure that having all his activities wrapped up in nursing is a healthy way to go. Any ideas?

Hi I have the same problem with weaning. I cannot wean him from breast feeding. He will take a bottle, but after a while he throws the hugest tantrum for breast milk. I tried alot of things to get him weaned. I went to the WIC office got weaning cups, and everything and he just doesn't seem to want to give it up. Am I going about the whole situaton wrong?

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